A Williamsfield Township pilot, Brian N. Betts, sustained injuries in a Sunday afternoon plane crash that claimed the life of his passenger, Douglas F. Bacconi of Sharpsville, Pa.
Ohio State Highway Patrol Sgt. Mike Harmon of the Warren post, which is investigating the incident, said Betts’ injuries were not life-threatening. Betts was transported to St. Elizabeth Medical Center in Youngstown. His family could not be reached for comment Tuesday.
Bacconi, 30, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Tony Molinaro, spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration, said Betts’ 1946 Luscombe single-engine aircraft crashed in Trumbull County shortly after taking off from a grass airstrip. Harmon said the private airstrip was the site of a family get-together Sunday afternoon, but he did not know who owned the strip.
The plane came down near Ridge Road and Gardner Barclay Road in Gustavus shortly before 3 p.m. Sunday. Gustavus is at routes 193 and 87 in northern Trumbull County.
Witnesses said the aircraft took off toward the south, turned around and was flying north at a low altitude when it hit the ground not far from the runway. It was reported that witnesses on the ground heard the engine stall and it appeared as if a wing of the plane caught the ground, forcing the plane to come down, almost nose first. The side of the plane split open, according to a broadcast report.
The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board responded to the scene, along with the Johnston Fire Department, Trumbull County Sheriff’s Office and OHP.
Molinaro said that while the FAA starts the investigation, the NTSB will be in charge of it.
The FAA preliminary report identifies Betts, 38, as the owner of the Luscombe Model 8A aircraft. The certificate of ownership is dated Aug. 17, 2006.
A Tribune Chronicle story reported that Bacconi owns an ice cream shop on Route 88 and was attending a family party at the airstrip. He has three daughters: a 2-year-old and 6-month-old twins, according to the article.
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